Toy roundabout



Sept. 5, 1950 w, w s r AL 2,521,620

TOY ROUNDABOUT Filed Feb. 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WILLIAM L. W57

JAMES /-7 W137 INVENTORS.

ATTORNEY- Sept. 5, 1950 V w. L. WEST ETAL 2,521,620

TOY ROUNDABOUT Filed Feb. 25, 1946 I 2-Sheets-Sheet 2 WILL/AM L. WfST AND JAMES /-I' W557,

INVENTORS.

ATTORNEY,

Patented Sept. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES ;?ENT OFFICE TOY RDUNDABOUT William L. West and flames Frank West, Belmont, N. 0.

Application February 25, 1946, Ecrial No. 649,839

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to a toy and more especially to a toy comprising a captive airplane driven by an electric motor and with the electrio motor serving as a counter balance for the plane so that the airplane will fly within a circle and when the current is disconnected from the motor the airplane will land upon a suitably providedcircular landing strip. It is evident that the landing strip may be dispensed with if proper accommodations are provided for the cord supplying the electric current such as by leading up through the floor or placing the same in a groove in the floor and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a captive airplane mounted on one end of a tube, the other end of the tube having an electric motor supported thereon and connected to flexible shaft disposed within the tube. ihe otherv end of the shaft is connected to the propeller of the airplane, said tube being pivoted intermediate its ends on a suitable stand procontact points which are normally in contact vided with brushes or rotate with the tube and with the two si es of an electric circuit whereby power may be supplied to the motor to drive the propeller of the airplane through the flexible shaft while the tube rotating on its pivot.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is an isometric view of the airplane toy and associated parts;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the airplane and mounting therefor with the plane in flying posi tion;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the plane with portions broken away to show the means for connecting the propeller shaft to the flexible driving shaft;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the upper parts of the stand for supporting the airplane and motor.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral it indicates a suitable base through which an electric cord i i is adapted to be passed, said electric cord comprising wires 52 and it which are led to any convenient point and connected to a source of electrical energy it. This source may be ordinary house lighting current or a battery as desired. An ordinary switch may be provided but I have shown a rheostat switch comprising a resistance i5 and switch point is whereby the speed of motor may be regulated as esired.

Secured at its lower end to base I8 is an upstanding tubular member [8 having a hole. in one side thereof through which electric cord H is passed to the outside of the tube. The tube has secured around the upper end thereof a shell as of non-conductive material which has conductive rings 21 and 22 mounted therein. These conductive rings 2i and 22 are connected respectively to wires 53 and ill of the electric circuit.

Rotatably mounted in the upper end of tube is is a fitting 23 which has secured thereon a non-conductive cover plate it which cover plate has mounted therein contact points 25 and 26 to which wires 2? and 28 are secured, said Wires 2i and 23 being enclosed within asuitable case ing 29 and led to the motor 38 and connected thereto.

The motoreii is supported by any suitable means such as braces 35 and 32 which are secured to a tube 33. The motor shaft of motor is connected by means of a coupling 34 ton flexible shaft 35. mounted for rotation in tube 33. Tube $3 is adjustably mounted within cuff which is pivoted as at 3? in the upper end of fitting 23. By means of a screw 38 the tube 33 can be adjusted to properly balance the motor with relation to the airplane on the other end thereof.

It will be noted that tube 33 is bent slightly backward in the left-hand portion of Figure 2, to counter-balance the other end thereof as it is evident that the right-hand portion of tube 33 in Figure 2, must be bent backwardly and then forwardly in order to prevent too sharp a turn being present in tube 33 hindering a proper operation of flexible drive shaft 35.

By bending the tube in this manner it is evident that the nose of the airplane will have a tendency to be tilted upwardly at all times. There is some play between parts 23 and '36 which permits this tendency for the nose of the airplane to be tilted upwardly.

Tube 33 is secured to an airplane 4!] in any desired manner such as by passing through a fitting st in the side of the fuselage of the airplane and having a set screw 42 therein whereby the tube 33 can be removably secured to the airplane.

The airplane has a propeller shaft 46 rotatably mounted in the front end thereof as by being mounted in plate 45 resembling a radial engine, and in bracket it secured within the fuselage of the airplane and which has a bearing ll in which the ear end the propeller shaft id is mounted.

Coupling 48 has a pair of set screws 49 and 50 whereby the propeller shaft 44 may be connected to flexible drive shaft 35. A suitable propeller 5! is mounted on the forward end of propeller shaft 44.

The airplane may be of any desired design having tail surfaces such as stabilizer 52 and fin 53, elevators and rudders not being necessary as no differential movement is imparted to the plane by manipulations of the empennage. The airplane has a suitable Wing 54 thereon.

It is evident that instead of the airplane shown, that model airplane built by model builders, can be easily and quickly secured to the flexible drive shaft 33 and tube 35 provided the model planes have the means for connecting the flexible shaft to the propeller shaft and means for securing the airplane to the tube 33.

The landing strip is provided not only to provide a landing area above electric cord II, but also for purposes of playing games and the like. This landing strip is divided into a plurality of areas 60, GI, 62 and 63, these portions being normally separated from each other and being arcuate, each portion having a strip 64 on the lower side thereof for receiving the end of the next succeeding arcuate member as well as a block 65 for supporting the outer edges of the arcuate member. These portions 60 to 63 inclusive, could be made of sheet metal if desired. These portions 60 to 63 inclusive can be painted difierent colors to provide different landing zones and the mechanism can be used as a game of skill for landing in a chosen area, 60, 6|, 62 or 63. Also the landing zone can be divided into a greater or lesser number of areas if desired.

By using the motor as a counter-weight, instead of having it disposed Within the airplane, much saving is made in weight and performance.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claim.

We claim:

An airplane toy comprising a tubular upright, a pair of concentric conductive rings mounted on the upper end of the upright and insulated from each other, a rotary member mounted in the upper end of the upright, an insulating disk carried by the rotary member and having brushes in contact with the rings, a source of electrical energy connected to said rings, a rigid tube pivoted intermediate its ends on said rotary member, the pivoted mounting for the tube including a pair of plates pivoted at their lower ends in the upper end of the rotary member and each plate having a semi-circular groove for fitting around the rigid tube and a bolt penetrating the upper ends of the pair of plates for clamping the plates around the tube, an electric motor mounted on one end of said tube and supported solely by said tube and having connection with said brushes, an airplane mounted on the other end of the tube, a propeller shaft mounted for rotation in the airplane, a propeller mounted on the forward end of the propeller shaft, a flexible drive shaft mounted in the tube and having one end thereof connected to the motor and having its other end connected to the propeller shaft.

WILLIAM L. WEST. JAMES FRANK WEST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,514,602 Charland Nov. 11, 1924 1,719,252 West at al July 2, 1929 2,131,222 Dale Sept. 27, 1938 

